whelm themselves. Roger de Hoveden informs us that the Jews, now driven to extremities, held a council, and offered a very large sum of money to be allowed to escape with their lives, but this offer was rejected. We are told by Matthew Paris, that the council was then addressed by a certain foreign rabbi, or doctor of their laws, who had visited England for the instruction of the Jews, as follows:- "Men of Israel, our God, whose laws I have prescribed to you, has commanded that we should at any time be ready to die for those laws; and now, when death looks us in the face, we have only to choose whether we should prolong a base and infamous life, or embrace a gallant and glorious death. If we fall into the hands of our enemies, at their will and pleasure we must die; but our Creator, who gave us life, did also enjoin that with our own hands, and of our own accord, we should devoutly restore it to him again, rather than await the cruelty of an enemy." This invitation to imitate the example of the followers of Josephus, in the cave of Jotapata, was embraced by many of the Jews, but others choose rather to try the clemency of the Christians, upon which the rabbi further said, "Let those whom this good and pious discourse displeases, separate themselves, and be cut off from the congregation! We, for the sake of our paternal law, despise this transitory life." Before the self-devoted victims began to execute the sentence upon each other, they set fire to the castle, and committed all their property to the flames, to prevent it falling into the hands of their enemies. The rabbi then directed that the husbands should cut the throats of their own wives and children; and Jocenus began the execution, by applying the knife to the throats of his wife and five children. The example was speedily followed by the other masters of families; and afterwards, as a mark of ресиliar honour, the rabbi cut the throat of Jocenus himself! The last of the victims was the self-devoted adviser of the deed, who was probably the only actual suicide.

The survivors then announced the horrid catastrophe which had befallen their brethren, to the besiegers, casting the dead bodies of the victims over the wall to convince them of the reality of their story. At the same time they supplicated for mercy, promising to become Christians. Pretending to compassionate their sufferings, and promising pardon on the condition named, the merciless barbarians obtained admission into the castle, and slew every one of the poor Jews, though to the last they cried out for baptism. The diabolical murderers then hastened to the Cathedral, where the bonds (for loans), which the Christians had given to the Jews, were deposited, and breaking open the chests, burnt in the midst of the nave of the church, all the documents they contained, thus freeing themselves and others from their

obligations. This massacre, in which it is supposed that not less than from 1,500 to 2,000 Jews in York fell victims, occurred on the 11th of March, 1190. And in spite of a proclamation in their favour by the King, the same spirit of persecution manifested itself in many of the large towns of the kingdom about that period. These horrors are uniformly reprobated by the historians of the time. When the King, who had embarked for the Holy Land, heard of these enormities, he sent orders to his Chancellor and Regent, William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, to go down into Yorkshire, and execute strict justice upon the offenders, but many of the miscreants had fled from the city, and the remaining citizens declared that the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns were the principal offenders. However he deposed, and committed the Sheriff and Governor to prison; took away one hundred hostages; repaired the castle; inflicted fines upon a few of the citizens; and gave the government of the county to his brother, Osbert de Longchamp. Notwithstanding this sanguinary persecution, a new colony of Jews soon settled in York, where they remained till the time of Edward I.

The reader of English history knows that Richard I., so glorious to military fame, and so oppressive to his subjects, after performing prodigies of personal valour in Palestine, and becoming a hero of romance, had the misfortune to be trepanned in his way home, by Leopold, Duke of Austria, who sold him to the Emperor of Germany; and that he was transported by his new proprietor from Vienna to Mentz, and other places, where he was generally kept in rigorous confinement, till a treaty was concluded, by which the Emperor extorted from him, or rather from the people of England, 100,000 marks of silver, of the weight of Cologne. To raise this immense sum, as well as to replenish the exhausted treasury, recourse was had to the sale of offices of trust and honour; the situations of Sheriff and Justiciary were disposed of to the highest bidder; and Richard declared that he would sell the city of London if he could find a purchaser. The Corporation charters too, of the various boroughs, were renewed or confirmed, on payment of heavy fines. In 1195, Geoffrey Plantagenet, Archbishop of York, possessed himself of the shrievalty of the county of York, on payment of a fine to the King, of 3000

* Hoveden, 379. Dicets, 651. Brompton, 1172.

+ Richard Malebisse paid ccc marks for his pardon, &c., on account of being concerned in the slaughter of the Jews at York. Again, xx marks to have his land restored, which was seized on that occasion. Maddox's Exchequer, 300.

The mark was an indeterminate sum, which varied in different ages. Some have stated it at 6 oz., others at 8 oz. Maddox says a mark of gold was equal to six pounds, or six score shillings; the mark of silver, 13s. 4d.

S

marks. Having by this means united the temporal and spiritual authorities, this prelate, who was the natural son of King Henry II., flourished with all the power and dignity of a sovereign Prince, in the north of England. The office of High Sheriff was, in these times, one of great trust and responsibility; as the keeper of the King's peace, he was the first man in the county, and superior in rank to any nobleman. He was the King's farmer or bailiff; the collector of all the royal rents and revenues within his district; to his custody were entrusted all the royal castles and manors lying within the bailiwick; and he provided the castles and fortified towns with ammunition and other necessaries. He was dignified with the title of Viscount, and all the freeholders of the county, whatever might be their rank, were obliged to give their personal attendance, to swell out the magnificence of his train. From this service, even the richest and most powerful barons were not exempt. Hence the retinue of a provincial sheriff must have equalled that of a powerful monarch.

The reign of King John began in turbulence, and ended in disgrace. According to the custom of these times, when the monarch had no settled revenue, it was usual for him to renew the borough charters at his accession, for the purpose of recruiting his treasury; and John followed this example. In the beginning of his reign, his Majesty, accompanied by the Queen and many of his principal Barons, made a progress into the north. The royal party crossed the Humber from Grimsby, and proceeded to Cottingham and Beverley, and thence to York, where a convention was held, which was attended by the King of Scotland and his nobles. It appears that, on this occasion, the citizens were not well affected towards John, for they refused to show him any marks of honourable greeting, or to display the usual tokens of joy and congratulation at the presence of their sovereign amongst them. The irritable monarch was so highly incensed at this instance of neglect, that he amerced the city in the sum of £100. In the last year of this troublous reign (1216), the northern Barons laid siege to York, but granted a truce, and retired on receiving 1000 marks from the citizens.

In 1220, Henry III. attended a convocation at York, in which Alexander, King of Scotland, swore to marry the Lady Joanna, or Jane, Henry's eldest sister; and in the following year, the marriage was solemnized in the Cathedral church of this city, in the presence of the King, amidst very splendid festivities. This was the lady whom the Scots in derision called Joan Makepeace. "A name not in vain," says Buchanan, "for, from that

* Lel. Coll. vol. ii. p. 210. Stowe's Chron. p. 157.

+ Mag. Rot. 3 Joh.

time, there was a strict alliance between the two Kings." On the same occasion, was solemnized the marriage of Hubert de Burgh, the Justiciary, and Margaret, sister of King Alexander. In 1230, Henry and the King of Scotland, with the principal nobility, kept Christmas at York, in a most magnificent manner; and in 1237, Cardinal Otto, the Pope's Legate, negociated a peace between the Kings of England and Scotland, who met at York for that purpose.

In 1251, the marriage of Alexander II. of Scotland, and Margaret, the beautiful daughter of Henry III., was celebrated at York, with all the mag-. nificence and grandeur suitable to the nuptials of such exalted persons. All the peers of the realm accompanied Henry and his Queen; and the Scottish King was attended by his mother, and a large retinue of his nobility. On Christmas Day, Henry conferred the honour of Knighthood on Alexander, and twenty of his nobles; and on the following day the royal pair were married in the Cathedral, by the Archbishop, Walter de Grey. As we have just stated, an immense number of military commanders, and other persons of rank, attended Henry; and Alexander was attended by more than sixty Knights, clad in a most superb manner. During the stay of these monarchs in York, the Archbishop several times entertained them with princely magnificence and grandeur; expending during the visit of the royal party more than 4,000 marks, or nearly £2,700. For one feast alone he had sixty fat oxen roasted and cooked in various ways.

In this chivalrous age mock contests formed the principal amusements of the nobility. On all great occasions a tournament was formally proclaimed; and here the aspiring warrior had an opportunity of recommending himself at once to the notice of his Sovereign, and the recommendation of his superiors, which led the way to honourable distinction; and of exciting at the same time the admiration and esteem of the softer sex, by the display of superior strength, activity, or military skill. On the present occasion, a grand tournament took place at York, in the presence of the two Kings, and all the principal nobility of England and Scotland, In 1291, Edward I. visited York on his way to Scotland; when the famous Welshman, the representative of the ancient Princes of South Wales, Rees-ap-Meredith, was tried and condemned here for high treason, and drawn through the city to the gallows, where he was hanged and quartered.* In 1296, the Scots having made an inroad into England, this valiant monarch marched against them

* Stowe's Annals. The word "Ap" is a Welsh prefix, equivalent to "Mac" in Scotland, and the "O" in Ireland.

battle, he slew 28,000 of the Berwick, Dunbar, and Edin

with a well appointed army, and joining in enemy in the field, and put the rest to flight. burgh, and other places, opened their gates to the conqueror; and John Baliol, the Scottish King, was forced to resign his kingdom by a charter, dated 10th of July, at Brechin. The sceptre, coronation stone,* &c., were sent to London.

In 1298, the same monarch summoned a special Parliament to meet at York, when the English Barons attended in great numbers; those who disobeyed the order to be present, being accounted rebels. At this assembly, the King's confirmation of Magna Charta (or the Great Charter), with the Charta de Forresta (Charter of the Forests), was read, and the Bishop of Carlisle pronounced a curse upon all who should attempt to violate them. The Scottish lords, who were summoned to attend this Parliament, not making their appearance, the English lords decreed, that an army should be sent, under the command of the Earl of Surrey, to relieve Roxborough, which the Scots were at that time besieging. At this Parliament, the Commons of of the Realm granted the King the ninth part of their goods; the Archbishop of Canterbury, with the clergy of his province, the tenth penny; and the Archbishop of York, with his clergy, a fifth.

Edward afterwards summoned another Parliament to York, and renewed his former order for the attendance of the Scottish nobility; but they again refused compliance with the King's command, which induced him to issue a commission of array, ordering his subjects to meet him at Roxborough on St. John's day. The famous battle of Falkirk then ensued, in which the cele

* This famous stone, on which the inauguration of the Scottish Kings was performed, was removed from the monastery of Scone, in Perthshire, and is now inserted in the seat of the Coronation chair of the Sovereigns of England. It is a flat stone, nearly square, and is said to be the identical stone which formed Jacob's pillow, when he had those celestial and mystical visions mentioned in holy writ. Tradition says it was brought out of Palestine into Ireland, and was there used as the inauguration stone of the Kings of that country; that it was brought from Ireland by Fergus, the son of Eric, who led the Dabriads to the shores of Argyleshire; and was deposited in the city of Scone. An old antiquarian has described this stone, "the ancientest respected monument in the world; for, although some others may be more ancient as to duration, yet thus superstiously regarded they are not." The antiquity of this "Stone of Destiny" is undoubted, however it may be questioned whether it be the same stone on which the ancient Kings of Ireland were crowned on the hill of Tara. The history of its being used for the coronation of the Scottish Kings, and of its removal from Scone by Edward I., admits of no doubt. A record exists of the expenses attending its removal. The curious visitor to London, may inspect it, together with the ancient chair made for its reception, in the reign of Edward I., in the chapel of St. Edward the Confessor, Westminster Abbey.